UNIT 1

Lesson 1
When you have completed this
Food and nutrition lesson you will be able to:
• explain what is meant by a
All living things need nutrients. Nutrients are the
nutrient, and describe how
substances a body uses to build, repair and maintain plants and animals obtain the
itself. The process of feeding the body with nutrients nutrients they need
is called nutrition. • list the five main nutrients
the human body needs and
explain their role in the diet
• explain the importance of fibre
(roughage) in the diet

Plants use sunlight, water and a

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If you were eaten by a
lion, your body would be
digested and rebuilt int
o
parts of the lion’s body!
After a meal we digest the food we have
eaten. Digestion breaks the food down
into substances our bodies can use.
gas from the air to make the food
that gives them energy. They take
other nutrients from the soil through
their roots. Animals must obtain all
the nutrients they need by eating
food. Most of our food comes from
eating plants, or the bodies of other
animals.
Activity 1
Make a list of all the different foods you ate
yesterday. Group them in two columns –
food from plants and food from animals.
Can you think of any foods that do not
come from plants or animals?

Different nutrients
There are five main types of nutrient we need from our food. These are carbohydrates,
proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. A sixth important part of our diet is roughage or fibre.

Fibre
Fibre does not provide nutrition, but it helps bulk up waste so that it passes easily through
the body. People who do not consume enough roughage are more likely to suffer from
constipation, which can sometimes lead to more serious diseases of the intestines.

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UNIT 1

potatoes
Carbohydrates rice pasta

Carbohydrates are mainly used by the body

as fuel. Digestion breaks them into a simple
bread
sugar called glucose. This is carried in the
blood to provide energy for all our body
parts.

Proteins sugar bananas cereals

Proteins perform many important jobs in the Carbohydrate-rich foods. An athlete must eat plenty of
carbohydrate before a race to provide the energy needed.
body. Your body needs them to grow, and
to make repairs when it is damaged. lean meat
chicken fish

Fats
The body needs some fat to build its parts
and keep them working properly. Fat can eggs
also be used as fuel, for energy. Surplus fat
is stored under our skin as a reserve fuel nuts milk
supply. lentils
Protein-rich foods. Children need protein if their bodies are to grow
healthy and strong
Minerals
Minerals are simple substances such as
calcium, iron and salt that the body needs
for building bones, carrying oxygen in the butter fatty meat
oil
blood, and controlling blood pressure. You
need to eat a lot of mineral-rich foods when
your body is growing.
If you lose blood then the iron it contained
must be replaced or you will become weak. milk and cream beefburger
Dark green vegetables, treacle and liver are Take care! Eating too much fat can make you gain weight or
become obese. As you get older too much fat can damage your
good sources of iron. heart.

Young children need calcium from milk to

build strong bones.
We need some salt in our diet to replace the green vegetables
sodium we lose by sweating, but too much
salt can raise our blood pressure. liver

treacle
Mineral-rich foods. We need a variety of minerals for different
purposes.

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 UNIT 1

Lesson 1: Food and nutrition

Vitamins
Vitamins are special substances that your
body needs in tiny amounts but cannot
make itself.

Activity 2
Copy and complete this table with a description of the importance of each food group.
Nutrient Importance in the diet
1. carbohydrates provide energy
2. proteins
3. fats
4. vitamins
5. minerals
6. fibre

What you have learnt

Our food gives us the different ____ our bodies need Key words
to stay healthy and grow. We need ____ for energy, carbohydrates fats
and ____ for growth and repair. We need some ____ fibre minerals nutrients
for making and maintaining body parts, but not too proteins vitamins
many. To stay healthy we also need ____ and ____ in
small quantities. These substances perform special
tasks in the body. ____ does not give us nutrition, but
it helps waste pass easily through the body.

Check your progress

1 What is a nutrient? List five nutrients we need from our food.
2 Explain why fibre is important in the diet.
3 Name the nutrients that:
• an athlete eats for energy
• help build and maintain the body
• are special substances the body needs in small amounts but cannot make itself.

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UNIT 1
Lesson 2
When you have completed this
Food groups lesson you will be able to:
• identify the main food groups
Different foods contain different amounts of the provided by common foods
important nutrients we need. This is why we must eat • name foods that provide
a mixture of different foods – not just one type of food vitamins and minerals in the
all the time. Foods may be grouped as sources of diet
• know how to test for two food
carbohydrate, protein or fat. types
Carbohydrates are contained in starchy foods such
as roots, cereals, bread and rice, and in sweet foods in the form of sugars.
Proteins are contained in meat, dairy products, fish, beans, seeds and nuts.
Fat-rich foods are butter, margarine, groundnuts, animal and plant oils and fatty meat.

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vive
Some animals are adapted to sur
on just one food. Giant pandas
;
eat only bamboo shoots and leaves
koala bears eat only eucalyptu s
leaves. But human bodies are not
adapted in this way.

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 UNIT 1

Lesson 2: Food groups

Activity 1
We are going to group foods. Look at the foods in the picture. Discuss which nutrients
each food contains.
Copy the nutrients diagram onto a large sheet of paper. Write the name of each food in
the correct circle.
Some foods contain more than one nutrient: red meat, for example, contains protein
and fat. These foods can go in the spaces where the circles overlap.
Fill the circles
with as many
foods as you
can think of.

Food group diagram

Sources of minerals and

vitamins
These foods on the right are especially good
for you because of the vitamins and minerals
they contain. Can you name these?
This table lists some different vitamins and
their importance in the body.

Vitamin Some foods that contain it What it does in the body

A egg yolk, green vegetables, carrots, liver, milk keeps eyes healthy
B1 rice, beans, meat , egg yolk, green vegetables, nuts, keeps nerves healthy
pineapples, apricots
B2 beans, meat, egg yolk, green vegetables keeps the skin healthy
C fruit, vegetables keeps the skin, gums and
blood vessels healthy
D fish, fat, egg yolk, also made in the skin by sunlight helps the bones to grow
properly
K green vegetables, egg yolk needed for blood clotting

Actvity 2
Use the table to say which vitamins each of the foods illustrated above contain.

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Lesson 2: Food groups

Food tests
How do we know which foods contain which nutrients? Scientists have invented chemical
tests for proteins, starch, fats and other nutrients. These pictures show two food tests.

black colour
black
provescolour
that
black colour proves that
starch is present
proves that starch is present
iodine solution shake
shake starch is present
iodine solution
iodine solution shake

distilled water bread

distilled water bread
distilled water distilled
breadwater
distilled water
distilled water
Foods that contain starch turn an iodine solution black.

cheese
cheese wash under
cheese wash
tap under
wash under tap grease mark proves that
paper tap grease mark proves that
paper fat is present
rub grease mark proves that fat is present
rub
paper
fat is present
rub
Foods that contain fats leave a greasy mark on paper that water does not wash out.

What you have learnt

Foods contain different ____. ____ and ____ foods are
Key words
rich in carbohydrates. Dairy foods, nuts, beans, fish
butter nutrients food tests
and ____ are good sources of protein. Oil, margarine
and ____ are fatty foods. We can use ____ ____ to
meat starchy sweet
identify the different nutrients that a food contains.

Check your progress

1 Give three examples each of foods that are rich in:
a carbohydrates b proteins c fats
2 Name an important vitamin that you obtain from eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
Why is this vitamin important for health?

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Lesson 3
A balanced diet When you have completed this
lesson you will be able to:
We must eat the correct quantity and mixture of • explain what is meant by a
different food types to stay healthy. This is called balanced diet
• plan a menu to provide a
eating a balanced diet.
balanced diet that includes all
A balanced diet contains carbohydrates, proteins, the important food groups
some fat and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables rich • describe the importance of
in vitamins and minerals. water in the diet

Activity 1
Make a list of the food you ate yesterday.
1. Did you eat any animal protein (meat or fish)?
2. Did you eat any carbohydrates such as potatoes or rice?
3. Did you eat any fats, such as butter or cream?
4. Did you eat any fresh fruit and vegetables?
Look at these three meals. Identify the different nutrients they contain.
Which meal contains all five? milk

orange water c
a b green
juice vegetable
apple papaya sweet
bread potato
carrots

plantain steamed
banana tomato
fish
rice

In wealthy countries food-related health problems

are usually caused by eating too much food, eating
the wrong kinds of foods and by lack of exercise.
In developing countries many people do not have
enough to eat. As much as 60 per cent of the world’s
population struggle to survive on a diet short of
carbohydrates, protein, minerals and vitamins.

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Lesson 3: A balanced diet

Activity 2
Draw a chart like this to plan your meals for the next three days. Work with a partner.
You should make sure you eat some protein, carbohydrate, a little fat, fresh fruit and
vegetables each day. Do not eat the same foods every day.
Meal Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Evening meal
Discuss your menu with your teacher. Is it a balanced diet?
It is not necessary that every meal contains all five nutrients, but you should eat from
each of them every day.

The importance of water in

the diet
As well as food, your body needs water.
You could survive for many days without
food, but without water you would die in
just a few days. This diagram shows some
different uses for water in the body.
To stay healthy the level of water in our
bodies must stay the same. We have to
balance the amount of water that passes
out, with the amount taken in. If we do
not have enough water we become
dehydrated.

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Marathon runners can lose
up to 6 litres of water
during a race in hot
conditions. They must keep
drinking during the race
or they will collapse
from dehydration.

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Lesson 3: A balanced diet

Activity 3
1. List five uses for water in the body.
2. List the ways that water enters the body.
3. List the ways that water leaves the body.
4. Add up the water losses. Is this person’s
water in balance? Explain why.

This table shows that an average adult takes in about 2.6 litres of water a day. This water
comes from drinks, moist food and by breaking down food in the body.

Water intake in cm3 Water losses in cm3

urine 1500
2600 sweat 600
breathing out 400
faeces 100

What you have learnt

A ____ ____ provides the correct mixture of nutrients
to keep the body in good health. We should eat from
each of the five nutrients every day. Fresh fruit and Key words
vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet. balanced diet dehydrated
Water is an essential part of the diet. If you do not
replace water lost through urination, sweating and
other routes, the body becomes ____.

Check your progress

1 Explain what is meant by a balanced diet.
2 Give an example of a meal that contains all five nutrients.
3 Explain why the adult body needs to take in at least 2.6 litres of water each day.

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UNIT 1
Lesson 4
When you have completed this
Food and energy lesson you will be able to:
• investigate the energy content
of foods
A peanut • state (in calories) the normal
candle energy needs of the human
body
When you eat a
• interpret the nutritional
peanut, the chemicals information provided by the
produced by digestion labels on packaged foods
are slowly ‘burnt’
in your body. In this
process they release
about the same
amount of energy as
that released by the
flame of a burning nut.

You will need:

food samples (nuts,
Activity 1 hard cheese , dry bread,
chocolate), kitchen
Comparing the energy contents of foods
tongs, a candle, a metal
• Stand the candle on the sand and light it. tray filled with sand.
• Use the tongs to hold each food sample (a whole nut
or a similar sized piece of cheese, bread or chocolate)
in the flame. Observe what
happens and record your tongs
observations in a table.
The food may bubble and
melt at first. Moist food will
steam. Eventually most food
samples will catch fire and food candle

carry on burning when taken

sand tray
out of the flame.
food
• Compare the different foods. samples
Which burns longest? Which
produces the biggest flame?
Which types of food do
you think contain the most
energy?

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Lesson 4: Food and energy

Being a good scientist (science skill – measurement)

Good scientists measure the things they observe to make their comparisons reliable.
You could try to measure the amount of heat given out by the different foods,
perhaps by seeing how much the burning sample will raise the temperature of a
certain amount of water. This is a difficult experiment to perform accurately, but
your teacher may demonstrate how it might be done.

Food scientists measure the energy in foods by burning them inside a special container
called a calorimeter. They find the heat released by the rise in temperature. Fats and oils
are the most energy-rich foods, with 900 calories of energy per 100 grams (g) of food.
Carbohydrates and proteins contain about 400 calories per 100 g. The number of calories in
the food you buy in shops and supermarkets is shown on the packaging.

Eating for energy

Depending on what you eat, the energy needs of your body may be provided by
carbohydrates, fats or proteins. Ideally, most of the energy should be provided by
carbohydrates, since it is wasteful for the body to break down protein and fat for fuel.

A resting human body needs about 1 calorie of energy per minute (this equals 1440 calories a day) to keep its basic life processes
going. As your activity level increases, so do your energy needs. Vigorous sport uses up 10 to 20 times more energy than resting.

Most adults require somewhere between 2000 and 3000 calories per day to maintain
a steady body weight. An active, growing teenager needs a similar number of calories
per day.

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Lesson 4: Food and energy

The energy content of packaged foods is shown on the food label. The label also provides
other nutrition information such as the fat, fibre and salt content of the food.

Activity 2
Make a collection of food labels from packaged foods. Which foods contain the most
calories per 100 g? Which have the most fat? Which have the most salt?

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One calorie is the amount
of heat energy needed to
raise the temperature
of 1 litre of water by 1
degree Celsius (1°C).

What you have learnt

Different foods provide different amounts of ____.
Scientists measure the energy content of foods by Key words
burning them in a ____. When you are resting, your calorie calorimeter
body needs about one ____ of energy per minute. Your
energy food label
energy needs increase when you are active. Fats and
oils are the most energy-rich foods. The energy content
of packaged foods can be found on the ____ ____.

Check your progress

1 How many calories are contained in 100 g of fat?
2 How many calories does an active teenager require each day?
3 Predict what will happen if you eat too many calories each day.

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Lesson 5
Digestion When you have completed this
lesson you will be able to:
The food you eat is digested as it passes through • describe how food moves
your alimentary canal. Digestion is the process in through the alimentary canal
which food is broken down into simpler substances • explain how food is digested
that your body can use. and absorbed as it passes
through the digestive system

The alimentary canal is really just a long

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lying tube with your mouth, the entrance, at
You can swallow food when you are
down, or even when you are hangin g one end, and your anus, the exit at the
llow
upside down. Astronauts can swa other. If you laid out this tube in a straight
food in space. These observations line it would be about 7 metres (m) long.
pulled
prove that the food is not just When you swallow a ball of food it begins
down by the force of gravity.
its journey from one end of this tube to the
other – but how does it move?

You will need:

a tape measure, a hosepipe, a
Activity 1 marble slightly bigger than the
Investigating movement through the
inside diameter of the pipe.
alimentary canal
• Use the tape to measure a 7m length of
hose. This is the length of your alimentary
canal.
• Can you make the marble move through
the tube? How can you use your hand to
make it move in either direction?
You can make a marble move along the tube
by squeezing the tube just behind it. Balls of
food move through the alimentary canal in
just the same way.

gullet

food
The walls of the alimentary canal contain muscle tissue. They move a
ball of food along by squeezing behind and relaxing in front. It’s a bit like
muscles squeeze squeezing toothpaste from a tube.

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Lesson 5: Digestion

Digestion
Digestion starts in the mouth when you chew
food and mix it with saliva. Saliva contains a gullet
special chemical called an enzyme, which
breaks starch into sugars. stomach

When you swallow the food, it passes from

your mouth into your stomach through the
gullet. The stomach can expand to take all the small intestine
food you eat during a meal.
Inside the stomach, food is mixed with gastric large intestine

juices. These contain acid, which kills bacteria,

and different enzymes that start to digest
protein. rectum

Food stays in the stomach for two to three anus

hours, and then passes into the small intestine,

where more enzymes complete the digestion process.

Absorption
The walls of the small intestine are covered with tiny folds. These
contain blood vessels into which the digested food passes. The
folds increase the surface area, making it easier for substances to
pass through.
Undigested food passes into the large intestine. There are a lot
of bacteria here, which continue to digest food remains, often
producing lots of gas. Water and minerals are absorbed from the
mixture through the large intestine walls.
As the contents of the large
intestine move down into the Activity 2
rectum, they form into faeces.
Answer these questions.
Faeces consist of water, bacteria
1. What job does the stomach do?
and undigested food in about
2. Where are most digestion products absorbed?
equal amounts. The faeces are
3. What happens to water in the large intestine?
stored in the rectum until they pass
out of the body through the anus.

Please see overmatter

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